“I think it’s important to preserve black hairstyles…Black people, especially, should be charged with preserving their own history. ”

-Shani Crowe

“Rope trick,” “Rope twists,” “Boxer Braids,” are all hairstyles black women have been doing for centuries. We don’t “own” these hairstyles, per se, but they are significant and prevalent across the greater black culture. For many of us, it can be frustrating to see our styles paraded about without anyone acknowledging or paying homage to the originators.

That’s why Natural Hair Sculptor and Photographer, Shani Crowe’s photo exhibit, BRAIDS, is so powerful. Shani does an outstanding job of reclaiming and preserving Traditional African hairstyles, many of which, are still being used today.

(Photo Credit: Shani Crowe)